The Things In Life
by Castle BSE
Summary: "Do you… uhm, do you want me to sit with you?" / I finally saw a glimpse of a smile on her face, it looked like she needed my help after all. /"Rick, my name is Rick. And it's not a problem, really. Company is always good, right?"
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I hope you like this story, I think it'll have 1 or 2 more chapters. Maybe I'll do it in one so it's a bit longer. I submitted it to a writing contest and it's a finalist, let's just cross fingers. Anyways, hope you like it. If you do, I would love it if you left a review, followed and liked the story._

This is uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. What do I say? Do I look up and smile? Do I try to start a conversation that will most likely end up being even more uncomfortable? God, this is why I hate eating with people. And who the hell invites to sit at their table someone they don't know? Oh, wait, that's me.

I don't even know why I did it. Did it really matter to me that the girl I now have in front looked for another restaurant that wasn't this one to eat? In that moment it looked like the most reasonable option, the girl seemed exhausted and hungry, her eyes looked desperate for not finding a table on what could possibly be her third or fourth option.

It was 3pm, for God's sake! If she didn't end up sitting with me I would have probably bought her something to eat on the way so she could eat it at home. Even though the food at this place isn't exactly _la crème de la crème_.

Either way, I reacted by instinct. When I saw her going towards the door, with her head low, sighting and getting her hair out of her face, trying to relax, my brain made me get up as quickly as I could and grab her by the arm.

"What the…?" The mysterious girl turned around and freed her arm like my hand burned her skin. She looked at me from head to toe like I was some kind of criminal. "What do you think you are doing?" Her tone was so harsh that made me stumble backwards a bit. Almost everyone at the restaurant was looking at us, like we were performing on a stage.

"No… I just…. I wanted to know if…" I started to stutter like I was a kid, I tend to do it when I'm nervous. The mysterious girl looked at me, trying to decipher what I was trying to say, but I didn't even know it. "It's just that I saw you looking for a table, it's 3pm, I 'm alone, you looked hungry…" Looking back, none of what I said made sense, but it was enough for her to understand.

"Do you… uhm, do you want me to sit with you?" I could only nod, I didn't know what else to say. "Are you really willing to let me sit with you just because I couldn't find a table?" If you say it like that, it did look weird, but it didn't bother me letting her sit with me anyways, so I just nodded again like a fool. "You don't need to…"

"Rick, my name is Rick. And it's not a problem, really. Company is always good, right?" I wish it was true, but eating with someone is even worse than sleeping with them. I'm someone who is very good at details, and it has a lot of advantages, but it also has its disadvantages. One of them being the need to observe people while they eat. It may sound disturbing, which it is, but it helps you getting to know people better.

"Are you serious? You would do me a big favor." I finally saw a glimpse of a smile on her face, it looked like she needed my help after all. I pointed at the only free table, seeing as she was standing still, waiting for me to go first. She walked right pass me and sat down across from me. I offered her a polite smile and turned my attention back to the menu. "By the way." I looked up a bit and looked at her in the eyes. "My name is Kate."


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to update, but I'm doing exams right now and I won't finish until June, so I don't know how often I'll be posting. I'm guessing this will have 1 more chapter, 2 tops. Thanks for sticking around and enjoy!_

* * *

That was the last thing I've heard her say, and that was more than 10 minutes ago. I look impatiently at my watch, why are they so slow? It's not that I'm in a rush, and neither is she by the looks of it. She doesn't seem concerned by the time, not at all. I glance at her, asking myself what could she be thinking about, she's been looking through the window for 5 minutes, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

The sunlight lights up her face and lets me watch her a bit more closely. Her eyes, that seemed light brown at the beginning, now look green. Her cheeks have some freckles, but not many and her long brown curly hair now in a ponytail, falls gracefully on her shoulder. It seems like I'm in a trance, I can't stop looking at her, and even though I try to look away, from time to time I can't help but glace again.

My daze finishes when the waiter comes and takes notes of our meal. If I'm being honest, I don't exactly remember what I was going to order, between the slow service and the distraction that Kate seems to be, my mind is somewhere else, so I just open the menu and order the first thing that comes to mind. The waiter takes notes of everything in a small notebook and heads towards the kitchen, where he leaves the new command for the cooks to see.

A couple of seconds later, I turn my attention back to Kate, who is exactly at the same position as before. I can't take my eyes off her. "Did you know that staring is creepy?" I open my mouth ready to defend myself, but before I do anything, I watch her smile and turn to me. "Don't worry, I don't care, it was just a comment. I just hope you don't do that with everybody, because most people wouldn't be as reasonable as me." I sight as I listen to her, the least I need now is making her mad, being uncomfortable is enough.

"What are you doing around here by the way? On vacation?" Her question takes me by surprise, after 15 minutes without talking I didn't think she would try and start a conversation. "No, not at all, it's work. I normally travel by plane or train, but with all the strikes going on these days, I didn't want to risk it." I look at her nod, letting me know that she understands.

"I came to visit my mother. It had been a long time since I saw her and I thought it was time". She gives me a sad smile and looks the other way, I don't know why, but I think talking about her mother might not be the best idea, so I decide not to ask anything about her. "I wish I knew what it feels like not seeing my mother for a while, but because I'm living with my parents it's almost impossible, you know?" I kindly smile.

"You still live with your parents?" She asks me a bit astounded. "No, no, no. _They_ live with _me_ , that's completely different." I try to sit straight, just like she did a minute ago. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was different." This time she doesn't smile, she laughs, so hard that I can't stop looking at her, and I impulsively laugh along with her.

"Of course it's different!" I say jokingly. "They don't take care of me, it's _me_ who takes care of them. Their own son, they should be ashamed."

It might be weird that a guy who just got out of college and working on his first job takes care of his parents. But it doesn't matter to me. It's kind of a _quid pro quo,_ they took care of me when I was a kid, and now I take care of them. It's the least I can do.

"Do you live far from here? That's why you haven't seen your mom for so long?" Whatever sign of happiness she showed before, disappeared the moment I mentioned her mom. Did I screw up? "No, that's not why. I live in New York City; it takes around 50 minutes to come here to Newark…" I look at her trying to read her, asking silently for her to finish her sentence, but she never does. "So, something else, right?" She looks down and nods. "Yeah, something else."


	3. Chapter 3

_No, I haven't forgotten about this fic, it's just that I've been really busy with applying to university and work. Here is the final chapter, hope you enjoy it, and if you do I would appreciate it if you liked it and reviewed it._

I decide not to continue with the topic and the awkwardness reappears, so I decide to do something about it. I don't really know what to talk about, I'm not really good at starting conversations, but I try. I talk about what I love, my family, my job, my hobbies, anything that will make this situation a bit more comfortable.

My plan seems to work, the conversation flows as if we have known each other for years. We are so into it that we don't even realize that the waiter is putting our plates on the table.

Kate is really an amazing and incredible young woman, being only a 24-year-old, she works as a lawyer in one of the most important law firms in New York, she has studied in Stanford and surprisingly, she doesn't live too far away from my house. Well, mine and my parent's.

All I do is smile and enjoy the company. It has been too long since I've had such a great time with someone. It's only been 2 hours since we've met, but it feels like I've known her for months, even years.

"You want dessert?" I ask her after she finishes her plate. But as I watch her sight, meaning that she can't eat anything else, I change the question. "And coffee?"

It seems that coffee is Kate's best friend, because when I asked if she wanted one, her eyes sparkled just like a kid on Christmas Morning.

Another hour goes by while we drink our coffees, another hour on which I have been able to get to know even more this extraordinary woman. I don't want this to end, because as bad of an idea as it seemed at the beginning, now I don't want her to go, but the check is already on the table and there isn't much time left.

After insisting for a while, I convince her of letting me pay. She's pretty stubborn, something that even she admits. Because for her, stubbornness is one of the best qualities a lawyer can have, so I think because of that, she might be one of the best.

After giving the waiter the money, we exit the diner continuing with our conversation. "Well, it seems it's time to say goodbye and go our separate ways." She says as she extends her hand towards me. "Yeah, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can do it again sometime." I shake her hand and without too much thinking I hug her, which takes her by surprise. Kate lets go of me and smiling one last time she turns away, walking towards her car.

"Kate?" She turns around, probably wondering what is it that I need. "Whatever it is that is going on with your mother, fix it. It is worth it." She opens her mouth to respond, probably to say that her private life is none of my business, but surprisingly she says exactly the opposite. "I'll try, thanks."

I don't know when or how, but two minutes later, when I get my hand inside my pocket to take out the car keys, I find a folded paper on which her phone and name are written. It looks like she is as interested in me as I was interested in her.

At the end, that which seemed so bad of an idea has turned out to be one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time. The things in life.

 _ **THE END**_


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